Overwrapped dispensing carton

ABSTRACT

A dispensing carton is formed from a one-piece blank of paperboard or the like which includes a flexible sheet of overwrap material overlying the outer surface of the dispensing wall of the carton. The flexible overwrap is attached to the end flaps of the carton so that it can be readily removed without damaging the outer surface of the carton walls.

[ 1 Jan. 18, 1972 United States Patent Herglotz [54] OVERWRAPPED DISPENSING CARTON 3,168,976 2/ [72] Inventor:

...........229/38 Desmond........................229/5l TS X Metzger........................ Cornell Harold J. l-lerglotz, Newark, Dell [73] Assignee: Westvaco Corporation, New York, NY. 221 Filed: on. 9, 1969 Primary Examiner-George E. Lowrance Attomey-Lany C Hall and Robert S. Grimshaw [57] ABSTRACT A dispensing carton is formed from a one-piece blank of [21 Appl. No.: 865,073

paperboard or the like which includes a flexible sheet of overwrap material overlying the outer surface of the dispensing wall of the carton. The flexible overwrap is attached to the end flaps of the carton so that it can be readily removed without damaging the outer surface of the carton walls.

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PATENIEH JAN 1 8 m2 INVENTOR BY Harold J. Herglotz ATTORNEY OVERWRAPPED DISPENSING CARTON SUMMARY or INVENTION This invention relates generally to a carton formed from a single blank of material which is cut and scored to provide a plurality of serially connected sidewalls and end closure flaps. More particularly, the carton of the present invention comprises a dispensing type carton wherein the dispensing opening is temporarily closed prior to use by a flexible sheet of overwrapmaterial. In this case, the overwrap material is preferably of a transparent nature, although it does not have to be transparent, and the overwrap provides a surface upon which advertising or promotional material might be'printed.

The carton blank is initially printed with an attractive and decor matching pattemwithout any significant manufacturer identification, then the overwrap is added to both seal the dispensing opening and provide a medium for presenting either an advertising message or a promotional appeal by the manufacturer. However because of the novel and improved means presented herein for securing the overwrap material to the carton body, it can be readily removed when desired, without marring the external appearance of the carton walls thereby disposing of the promotional or advertising message. Hence the consumer gets only the dispensing carton with its decor matching printing exposed to view.

Merchandising of products in dispensing cartons of the sort herein described has received much attention recently by using film overwraps which are later discarded. The film over-, lay serves two purposes, first as a protective measure forkeeping the enclosed product clean and sanitary andsecond as a medium for advertising as pointed out above. Most of the prior art cartons suffer from one or more defects, however, and it is the purpose of this invention to overcome these defects.

As an example, most prior art overwrapped cartons utilize a film over more than one sidewall, and, most generally over at least three sidewalls. This scheme has been used in aneffort to find a place on the carton for securing the ends of the film out of sight of the consumer. In addition, the further requirement that the film be completely and cleanly removed for dispensing without marring the exterior of the carton has made it difiicult for the packager to come up with a significantly convenient and effective film attaching scheme. Accordingly, the obvious problems and/or disadvantages of the prior art film overwrapped cartons have been centered around an extravagant use of film material and an inconvenient means for opening the carton.

Applicant, with the simplified film overwrap of the present invention has overcome the prior disadvantage of extravagant film useage by applying the overwrap to only one sidewall rather than to three sidewalls as with the prior art cartons. Significantly this reduction in film use from three sides to only one has also proved valuable in reducing the opportunity for damage to the film during packing and later stacking on the market shelves. With the film overwrap of the present invention, there are just two edges of film exposed, both in the longitudinal direction of the package whereas with film around three sides, the film edges are exposed at both ends of the package and in three different planes. Obviously this increased film edge exposure would offer more opportunity for tearing and premature, accidental removal both during packing and stacking of the product. Moreover, by extending the film over each end of the single sidewall, and attaching the ends of the film to easily separable portions of the end flaps of the carton, applicant has produced a convenient and nc vel means for removing the film overwrap. The overwraps employed by most of the prior art cartons had no convenient tablike means for grasping and removing the film and required that the consumer use some sort of object which had to be inserted under the overwrap for removal thereof. Generally the prior art overwrap films were perforated at or near their points of attachment to the carton, but rarely would the film tear evenly along the perforations for complete removal. Ac-

cordingly, this invention discloses means which not only firmly secures the film overwrap to the carton body, but also provides means for completely removing the overwrap from the carton body without marring the external appearance thereof.

Therefore, an object of this invention is to provide in a dispensing carton construction, a film overwrap covering the exterior surface of one wall only of the carton including an improved means for firmly yet conveniently'securing the film to the carton so that it will not be accidentally separated therefrom and so that it will not be wrinkled or torn during packing and stacking.

Another object of the present invention is to provide an overwrapped dispensing carton wherein the overwrap extends over only the wall of the carton containing the dispensing opening, and including easily separable portions of the carton itself that permit easy and complete removal of the overwrap from the carton without damaging the external appearance of the carton.

A further object of this invention is to provide in an overwrapped carton construction a convenient and easily manipulatable means for securing the overwrap to the carton so that after the overwrap is removed, there is virtually no visible trace of the overwrap remaining on the carton, or ever having been on the carton. 1

These and other objects will be more fully appreciated after referring to the following detailed description and accompanying drawing.

DESCRIPTION OF DRAWING FIG. 1 is a top plan view, from the outside of the carton, of a blank suitably cut and scored to form the carton disclosed in FIG. 2;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the overwrapped dispensing carton of the present invention; and, i 1

FIG. 3 is a sectional view of FIG. 2 as seen generally from line 3-3 of the carton of FIG. 2.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION Referring now to FIGS. 1-3, carton 10 includes a plurality of sidewalls hingedly connected to one another at the side edges thereof and forming thereby a semirigid body structure. The body structure is initially formed tube from a single blank having sidewall panels 12, 14, 16 and 18 hinged together along respective parallel fold lines l1, l3 and 15. Connector flap 20 hinged to panel 18 along fold line 17 completes the carton structure when secured to panel 12 at the opposite side of the blank. FIG. 3 shows this secured connection in detail. End fiaps 22, 24 and 30, 32 are hinged to the end edges of the sidewall panels 18 and 14 along fold lines 19, 21 and 27, 29, and, end flaps 26, 28 and 34, 36 are hinged to the end edges of the top panel 16 and the bottom panel 12 respectively along fold lines 23, 25 and 31, 33. Each of these end flaps are secured to one another to close the ends of the canon in the final condition.

The top panel 16, also referred to as the dispensing wall, contains an opening 35 over which the film 41 is wrapped. Opening 35 is, of course, the dispensing opening which is exposed upon removal of the film 41. FIG. 1, along with FIG. 2 each show the novel means whereby the film overwrap 41 is attached to the carton end flaps 26, 28. It will be noted that the film overwrap 41 has its side edges exposed along fold lines 13 and' 15 and extends over fold lines 23 and 25 at each end of the dispensing panel 16. The film 41 is then attached along the areas 37, 38 in the end flaps 26, 28 by adhesive or some other suitable means.

FIG. 1 of the drawing shows this attachment and further clearly illustrates the configuration of the end flaps 26, 28 wherein each is divided into a major and a minor portion by the perforated lines 39, 40. That is, end flap 26 includes a major portion between fold line 25 and perforated line 40, and a minor portion 37 wherein the film 41 is secured. Similarly end fiap 28 includes a major portion between fold line 23 and perforated line 39 and a minor portion 38 wherein the opposite end of film 41 is secured. Obviously the major portions of each end flap 26, 28 serve to close the ends of the carton whereas the minor portions 37. 38 of each end flap 26, 28 are easily torn off to remove the film from the package.

The above-described and illustrated configuration is the preferred embodiment of the invention and it should be understood that other different means of attaching the ends of the film to the closure flaps 26, 28 could be used if desired. For instance, the ends of film 41 could be tucked under and secured between the flaps 26, 36 and 28, 34. In this case, the film 41 would then be weakened in the region of the overlapped and secured ends adjacent the extreme edges of flaps 26, 28 for easy removal. Of course, lifting tabs could also be added to the end flap removable portions 37, 38 in order to improve the means for removing the film 41. Either of these changes and many others could be made without exceeding the scope of the invention.

According to the invention, the carton is fabricated and shipped flat to the user where it is opened and loaded when desired. After the carton is loaded, the end closure panels 22, 24, 26, 28, 30, 32, 34 and 36 are folded along their respective fold lines at right angles to the sidewall panels l2, l4, l6 and 18 and are secured together for providing the end closure walls. a

The carton blank 10 is initially cut, scored and printed in a die press or the like, and then laid flat with the printed side up for application of the film overwrap. A line of adhesive or the like is then applied to the portions 37, 38 of end flaps 26, 28 and the film placed on top over the dispensing opening 35. After the film sheet is secured to the blank, the blank assembly is flipped over in preparation for final assembly. Closure flap is folded in about its hinge line 17 and adhesive applied thereto. Finally, sidewall panels 12 and 14 are folded along fold line 13 and the closure flap secured to the inside of wall 12. Thus the carton is formed for shipment to the user as pointed out above.

it should be readily apparent that the carton described above could be formed on existing commercial equipment without the necessity of making extensive modifications. Furthermore, only one preferred means has been described for fabricating the canon although other different techniques and steps could be employed without exceeding the scope of the invention. Hence what is claimed as my invention is defined in the appended claims.

lclaim:

1. A dispensing carton formed from a single blank of paperboard or the like comprising:

a. a plurality of sidewalls foldably connected to one another along parallel fold lines, including a closure flap attached to the edge of one of said sidewalls and secured to another of said sidewalls at the opposite edge of said blank;

b. flap means foldably connected to the ends of said sidewalls for closing the ends of said carton;

c. means in one of said sidewalls for dispensing the contents of said carton; and,

d. a flexible sheet of overwrap material overlaying only the outer surface of the sidewall of said carton having the dispensing means therein and extending over the ends of said sidewall with the opposed ends of said flexible sheet being secured to the flap means connected to the respective ends of said sidewall, wherein the flap means secured to said flexible sheet includes a portion adjacent its attachment to said flexible sheet which may be removed therefrom along with said flexible sheet to permit dispensing of said carton.

2. The dispensing carton of claim 1 wherein:

a. the removable portion of said flap means is separated from the remaining portion of said flap means by a weakened tear line. 

1. A dispensing carton formed from a single blank of paperboard or the like comprising: a. a plurality of sidewalls foldably connected to one another along parallel fold lines, including a closure flap attached to the edge of one of said sidewalls and secured to another of said sidewalls at the opposite edge of said blank; b. flap means foldably connected to the ends of said sidewalls for closing the ends of said carton; c. means in one of said sidewalls for dispensing the contents of said carton; and, d. a flExible sheet of overwrap material overlaying only the outer surface of the sidewall of said carton having the dispensing means therein and extending over the ends of said sidewall with the opposed ends of said flexible sheet being secured to the flap means connected to the respective ends of said sidewall, wherein the flap means secured to said flexible sheet includes a portion adjacent its attachment to said flexible sheet which may be removed therefrom along with said flexible sheet to permit dispensing of said carton.
 2. The dispensing carton of claim 1 wherein: a. the removable portion of said flap means is separated from the remaining portion of said flap means by a weakened tear line. 